Why the Great Outdoors Need to Be Inside Your Office.

This is all wrapped up in the concept of the Destination Office – a space which employees actively gravitate to because it gives them access to the experiences and facilities they can’t get elsewhere.  There’s a huge amount of business benefit in making access to nature part of the destination office experience too. Better access to nature through biophilic design helps with improving creativity, boosting concentration, reducing stress, and aiding wellbeing, as well as driving greater productivity.

Individually these benefits are powerful, but together they also make workplace experiences more enjoyable and memorable – both of which can provide valuable differentiation in the search for and retention of talent.

Here, Sarah Syson our Head of Design shares seven of the most effective and popular ways we’re using office interior design to satisfy our need for nature: 

• CREATE OUTDOOR SPACES. Not every office building has outdoor space or the opportunity to create it, but where it’s possible it should be harnessed. It could be a small roof garden, a mini terrace, a courtyard or even a balcony – all of which can bring nature and fresh air that little bit closer.  We helped the Bailie Group in Leeds to repurpose its undercroft parking spaces to create a fantastic patio. Not only did it provide the outdoor space they so wanted, but it also maximised their fantastic canal-side location. For Eastlight Community Housing in Essex, a roof terrace and herb garden, accessed from a large communal kitchen, provides employees with their daily dose of nature, plus it’s become the social heart of their workspace too.

• EMBRACE NATURE’S PALETTE. Natural colour palettes and choices of wood and stone textures can be used to make a workplace feel softer, more inviting, and less jarring with the outside world. In turn this can help to reflect natural light and promote a sense of calm and wellbeing. Use of nature-inspired imagery and wall-finishings supports this idea further.
• MAXIMISE NATURAL LIGHT. Locate important work settings close to natural light sources and make sure light plays a part in informing your space planning during both Cat A and Cat B. One technique that can work especially well is locating shared facilities such as meeting rooms, refreshment points and storage in a floorplate’s core, which is typically the furthest from windows. This allows natural light to penetrate and puts work settings in the lightest areas (often with the most views too).
• BREATHE DEEPLY. Fresh air not only aids concentration but helps with our connection to nature. Office spaces that are too warm or with poor air circulation are often less productive and more prone to sickness. Take a close look at HVAC systems and the proportion of fresh air that’s pumped into the office.

• MAKE PLANTING ABUNDANT – For employers where access to the outside isn’t an option, bringing the outside in is the next best thing, especially when you consider that most office workers spend roughly 90%^[1] of their time inside. Easy methods include using an abundance of natural planting and living walls to divide spaces in the office and create visual interest.  More statement approaches might include planting a tree in the centre of the floorplate (something we’ve just done for AQA in Milton Keynes). And, if push comes to shove you can always fake it. We created an internal faux picnic green complete with deckchairs and rugs at Talk Talk in Salford as an alternative relaxation and informal collaboration space.

• ENSURE QUIET– One of the joys of nature is the relative quietness and opportunity it affords to switch off and relax. Workplace environments can replicate this aspect of nature by ensuring there are ample quiet spaces for people to work and relax in. Individual pods, one-person meeting rooms or even a well-placed comfy chair in a discreet part of the office, can all do the job.
• THINK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY. Sustainability is part of this picture too. A study reported by BBC News[2] revealed that when people have access to outdoor spaces, they’re more likely to make greener and more environmentally-friendly choices. So when workspaces not only offer green experiences, but exist within green, sustainable buildings, it seems likely the positive effects will increase further.  We regularly help clients to achieve Fitwell accreditation for their offices and have delivered numerous projects in BREEAM excellent and outstanding buildings, plus we’ve installed environmental facilities as varied as electric vehicle charging points to rainwater harvesting and solar panels.  All these things help employees to not only ‘do their bit’ but be confident their employers share their values.   It’s worth noting that almost 65%[3] of UK people surveyed in August 2020 said they were more likely to choose to work for a company that had strong environmental policies.

If you’re on the cusp of creating your perfect destination office, it’s vital to include biophilia in your office interior design.  Just think, that with a little help from nature, you can create memorable and desirable spaces that promote wellbeing, happiness, and productivity in equal measure.    It’s time to let the outside in.

[1] According to an article by Ambius as quoted here: https://www.workdesign.com/2018/09/enriching-the-workplace-with-biophilic-design/

[2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-51110546

[3] Research by Designer Leyla Acaroglu as quoted here: https://www.reutersevents.com/sustainability/employees-want-climate-positive-action-companies-heres-how-they-can-deliver